Bill Bertsche '84

Distinguished Service Award
2024 Alumnus of the Year

William “Bill” Bertsche grew up in Schaumburg, Illinois, one of five children of Bern and Jeanne Bertsche. After a neighbor invited Jeanne to a local Baptist church, Bill began attending Sunday School and AWANA where he came to understand that his sin was separating him from the Lord and that he needed Jesus to save him.

In those early years, Bill loved their church which included an amazing youth group, and a solid foundation for his faith was built. By the time he was 13, he felt the Lord’s call into full-time ministry. He remembers thinking that there was nothing more important than people hearing the gospel, so there was no greater thing he could do with his life. He initially thought he would be a missionary to a remote part of the world, so he later pursued a degree in Intercultural Studies.

Upon returning from Nigeria, Bill went to Trinity Divinity School for a one-year Master of Theology degree in preparation for returning oversees to teach in a Bible college or seminary. During this time, he began an internship in the single adults ministry at College Church in Wheaton under Pastor Dave Helm. Dave and his wife Lisa were instrumental in helping Bill understand pastoral ministry and the family life of a pastor. Not only that, but it was through Dave that Bill became a pastor at The Moody Church when they contacted Dave about an opening for a single adults pastor and he recommended Bill.

Bill was greatly blessed by his time at WA in many ways. His classmates included some wonderful and godly people, and Bill appreciated many of his teachers. One of those teachers— Gregg Thompson—and Bill became friends after Bill graduated. The two regularly played racquetball together.

In 1994, Bill joined the staff of The Moody Church and will celebrate his 30th anniversary this October. He has served as the singles & college pastor and the missions pastor and has been the executive pastor since 2012. Serving the Lord as a pastor at The Moody Church has been a greater joy and blessing than he could ever have imagined. The privilege of serving there for so many years with so many amazing  people is something he thanks the Lord for regularly.

Bill serves on the board of Middle East Ministries, a ministry that is working to begin house churches in Israel and other countries, and on PWI Foundation, which seeks to help broaden the reach and impact of non-profits all over the world. He met  his wife, Carmé, at The Moody Church,  and they have been married since 1996. In so many ways, she is a perfect fit for Bill  and for the ministry the Lord has called them to. Bill and Carmé have four adult children— Hannah ’17 (Andrew), Jonathan ’18 (Olivia), Michael ’21, and Elena ’24—who all attended Wheaton Academy, and they are eagerly awaiting the birth of their first grandchild this fall.